COUNCIL boss Ray Morgan will not be investigated by the local government ombudsman for lending £400,000 of public cash without permission.

Last August the News and Mail reported how Woking Borough Council’s chief executive had been forced to apologise for an error that led to him authorising the loan.

The news led Barnsbury Estate resident Rosemary MacNeill to write to the ombudsman, complaining of incompetence and a “hideous waste of public money”.

But this week she was told in a reply from the ombudsman that an investigation into the debacle would not be pursued.

On February 13 Felix Di Netimah wrote: “The law states that the ombudsman shall not investigate a complaint that concerns something that affects all or most of the inhabitants of the area of the council involved.

“As a local resident, it’s not hard for me to understand that you are concerned about an inefficient use of public funds. But your concern is about an issue that would affect all or most of the council taxpayers in the area rather than you in particular.

“So I consider that your complaint is caught by the restriction on the ombudsman’s powers.”

The response has left Mrs MacNeill mystified. She said: “What use is the ombudsman if it will not investigate something that affects everyone in Woking?”